How does Asia veiw the western world ?

[MeIanite]

They sure do like our food and make an effort to learn English.

[thewaitingtree]

BATCATGIRL

thewaitingtree

Eh....

Sorry but South Korea is kind of racist. I'm not Korean, but I am white and living in South Korea.
Everywhere I go I hear "와! 외국인있다!" (wow! there's a foreigner!) Some people or kids don't even know the word for foreigner - so they say the only thing they can associate with a white face - "영어" (English).
I've had store keepers not want to serve me. If I go in a restaurant alone - they assume I want take out.. and it's kind of like take your food and leave. (granted - korean culture - they think it is sad to eat alone... but i live alone and my friends are busy so i eat alone... but i have to do 'take out' all the time.)

In Asia - you really don't get many people of different color. So having foreigners is very new and weird to them.

Some people are really nice, but you get a lot of stares, grunts (from old men) and stuff.
Some people will literally be afraid of you just because you don't look like them.
Some people will refuse to speak to you. (they are deathly afraid of speaking english! their faces soften when i speak korean to them)

But there are kind and nice people, who aren't afraid of foreigners. And there are some decent English speakers.

I had a friend once who was from South Korea. She builled me from primary to high school at the end I had to stop being friends with her cause she never changed. Some Chinese told me to be careful with South Koreans. You should go home if its unpleasant for you

South Koreans are very obsessed with appearance. So if you are fat, red, short, or quirky - well too bad - they're gonna tell you.

If I don't wear BB cream - my coworkers will probably ask if I'm OK - because "you don't look well". They are so used to everyone having smooth, even skin tone. I use the BB cream to even out my tone and cover my dark eye circles.

I don't mind. I like a lot of other things about living here. I like having a job and health insurance.
I like living in my own place, and I have some friends here. biggrin

[Sakura Latte]

GunsmithKitten

Not sure about the rest of Asia, but Japan has no problem putting up signs saying "No Americans" or "Japanese Only", so their stance is pretty clear.

You speak as if they're placed everywhere when they're not. From people I've spoken to in Gaia International who live in Japan (foreigners included), those signs aren't even that prevalent.

But anyway, Japan from a social standpoint is a collectivist society. For example, they believe that if one person in a group does something wrong, it reflects on the group as a whole. I remember reading an account once of how this one bar or restaurant was forced to put up a "no gaijin" sign on their door because some foreigner came into their establishment and ******** s**t up. Apparently "one misbehaving gaijin can make all gaijin look bad" (Tofugu). Of course, not all have this mentality.

[Pikkewyn]

I think it differs between countries.
When I visited Indonesia, I noticed that some people were just generally nice and accepting, others saw us as walking wallets, and others still had this sentiment from the colonial times (Indonesia used to be our colony).
We were basically seen the same (except for the colonial thing) as in many other countries; my experiences in countries like Tunisia, Mexico and Greece were very similar. Some speak English, and/or other languages, but most of them appreciate it if you try to speak their language even if you are only on a short visit.

[Innocent Winter]

Toxilicks

I hear Japanese can be quite racist. Otherwise, I'm not sure man.

Really?Because I'm black and I want to visit Japan.. :c I know there's good and bad in everywhere..

[Toxilicks]

Innocent Winter

Toxilicks

I hear Japanese can be quite racist. Otherwise, I'm not sure man.

Really?Because I'm black and I want to visit Japan.. :c I know there's good and bad in everywhere..

It's not going to matter, you're not Japanese.
Mind you, this isn't to say the second you step off the plane you're going to be immediately ridiculed or whatever.

[XxTheSmittenKittenxX]

They probably either look down their noses at America or at least find America interesting.

[Professor Alcoholic]

Probably through a filter of wanton ignorance.